Should You Get Java and JavaScript Off Your Computer?

Computer security columns evangelize how important it is for people to disable JavaScript on their computers. They tell you that your computer’s security is seriously compromised if you keep JavaScript on your computer. Is this true? JavaScript makes much of the modern Web experience possible. Is the security threat serious enough that you should hobble your Internet experience to this degree?

What exactly does JavaScript do?

JavaScript is the programming language that makes webpages come alive. It is used to program nearly every web browser. Many people confuse JavaScript with Java – a plug-in that you need to install separately.

Java, the plug-in, is created and maintained by a separate company called Oracle that often seems to not care about good security practices. Major industry experts recommend that everyone uninstall Java on their computers. When large corporations like Facebook and Apple aren’t able to protect their computers from the threats brought in by Java, uninstalling it does make sense.

JavaScript, on the other hand, is a common language Website features like fly-out menus, popup information boxes and other interactive website features all depend on JavaScript. If you disable JavaScript, you lose the ability to use complex Web services like Google Docs, Gmail and even Google Image Search. The function in Google Image Search that allows you to hover your mouse over an image to see a larger version, for instance, depends on JavaScript.

JavaScript is nowhere near the kind of threat that Java is.

Why do people disable JavaScript?

Mostly, JavaScript is disabled for security reasons. Like any programming environment, JavaScript comes with a few vulnerabilities. Other times, people disable it as a way to stay free of ads (many kinds of website ads depend on JavaScript). To disable Javascript, they either go to the Options dialogue on their browser or use a browser extension like Noscript that allows them to quickly enable or disable JavaScript on websites on-the-fly. It can be a great hassle.

You shouldn’t disable JavaScript for the extra security

Many websites work without JavaScript – in the way they used to 10 years ago. To see what the Web looks like without JavaScript, you only need to try loading Gmail in simple HTML mode. The web without JavaScript can be slow, unintelligent and frustrating.

Some extremely security minded people go even further. They stay away from browsers altogether, download HTML files for the webpages they want and view them on Notepad. Alternatively, they use a browser like w3m that only displays text and no graphical elements. Disabling JavaScript is similarly extreme. The idea is to find a balance between being able to use the Web in a practical way and remaining secure.

Uninstalling Java, Adobe Rader or even Adobe Flash can be a practical way to stay safe. Uninstalling JavaScript can only be termed extreme.